Fluorescent Tubes to LEDs ?

[glchristie@att.net]

Has anyone updated their flurescent tubes (18" tubes) to LED?

 

Any vendors on Ebay you would recommend?

 

What color (warm white- bright white) and lumens did you use?

 

Are you happy with results?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jerry Christie

[RickandJanice]

We changed 2 out of 4 lights to LED. We used the Bright White (5500k) mainly because we only use the fluorescent lights when we want really bright lights. The best ones we found were from Cabin Bright LED. They have 3 colors and are consistent in color and easy swap to bypass the ballast. Cabin Bright is a medium priced LED company started by a fellow RV'er. They have LED replacements for just about any standard type bulb found in an RV and really know the RV end of the business. https://www.cabinbright.com/shop/the-x-factor-fluorescent-tube-replacements/fled18r-240x/

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

We converted a couple of lights in the kitchen for more brightness using LED strips.

[reed and elaine]

You can google a lot of sites for this

 

We replaced the 12" fluorescent tube over the sink with a LED "tube" that is excellent. We got it from a Maritime supply firm. It took about 10 minutes of tinkiering. I cannot remember from whom we bought this on-line.

 

Reed and Elaine

[AFchap]

I replaced all of my 12" and 18" flourescents with led strips from jirahled.com. The 18" strips are COOL WHITE at 6400K. 790 lumens. They are fantastic!

[mrfrank]

"Marine Beam" in North Carolina sells replacement bulbs for fluorescent fixtures. They aren't cheap but they work well. They are available in cool and warm configurations. They are very good bulb and will work with voltages as low as about 8V up to over 20 V. They do require modification of the fixture, removing the ballast.

[SCClockDr]

I swapped out our 12" tubes with Super Bright Narrow Rigid Light Bar w/ High Power 3-Chip LEDs RLBN series

You need to also order the C21-Ix series Interconnectors for LB1 & RLBN series Light Bars Interconnect-18 Inch Long

Instant on and quite bright.

[docj]

For the first fixture I converted to LED I used Ming replacement tubes with a ~4000K temp. But last year I used adhesive LED strips with similar characteristics. The strips were half the price of the tubes and produced the same result.

[reed and elaine]

Could not remember the maritime supply store that we got our fluorescent replacement but mfrank posted the correct distributor, Marine Beam. The below is their site for fluorescent replacements.

 

http://store.marinebeam.com/led-fluorescents-1/

 

Reed and Elaine

[gmacnut]

Just completed 2 fixtures with Natural White 4500K from http://www.m4products.com. They have You Tube videos with step by step instruction. Will replace all tube lights to LED using the 4500k bulb.

[Bill Joyce]

We replaced some with LED tubes and others with new fixtures from Thinlite. http://www.solarseller.com/thin_lite_led_lighting_low_voltage_dc_12_and_24_volt.htm. Friends have changed to LED strips and have been happy and saved some money. HitLights brand is popular for the strips and available from Amazon.

[EagleEye]

I replaced my 18" tubes with the cool white blubs from M4 products over a year ago and have not had any problems. It does take about 15 minutes to modify the fixture but it's not hard.

[GlennWest]

We also have replaced 3 sets so far. Got them from M4 also. Will replace all eventually as they go out. Dw wants to replace all of them now. We really enjoy ours

[Mariner]

I've thought of doing this, but have read of problems of them getting REALLY hot and actually melting. Any truth to this?

[SCClockDr]

I've thought of doing this, but have read of problems of them getting REALLY hot and actually melting. Any truth to this?

Not with the super bright strips I used.

[BooneDocks]

I used strips with 3528 leds. You could use fewer strips if you used 5050s. For me, I preferred the look of the 3528s. Purchased warm white strips from a Chinese seller on ebay. Takes about $4 worth of led strips per fixture. Takes a little time and patience to make and solder all the jumpers.

 

 

 

[docj]

Takes a little time and patience to make and solder all the jumpers.

 

For a few dollars more I purchased strips with all the jumpers attached. Installation took less than 15 minutes.

[BooneDocks]

 

For a few dollars more I purchased strips with all the jumpers attached. Installation took less than 15 minutes.

That would be easier. Are they sized as 18-inch replacements and how many strips are pre-jumpered? Do you have a link for the vendor?

[Bill Joyce]

That would be easier. Are they sized as 18-inch replacements and how many strips are pre-jumpered? Do you have a link for the vendor?

Search for "hitlights led strip" on Amazon.

[docj]

That would be easier. Are they sized as 18-inch replacements and how many strips are pre-jumpered? Do you have a link for the vendor?

 

I decided to use the 5050's you didn't like the color of, but I'm sure the ones you used are available also. They are 19.7" strips, but I just remove the tube sockets and bend the excess light strip up the end of the fixture. It works fine.

 

Here's what I bought: https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/top-emitting/led-light-strips-led-tape-light-with-18-smdsft-3-chip-smd-led-5050-with-lc2-connector/1465/

[Rich Stiner]

In my geeky brain, I look at the Color Rendering Index (CRI). This number is read in %, and the higher the better. Once you get the CRI over 90, you'd chase your tail to get those last few percent above that. The thing about light is not a specific color of the lamp, it's about how accurate colors reflect under those lights - and that's CRI.

 

Case in point: Anybody see "Abyss"? There's a scene where the star has to cut the correct-colored wire to disarm a nuke, but his glow stick made all the wires look the same color.

[budeneighe]

Color might be more important depending on where they are going to be used. We found warmer color, while not as apparently bright, were much better for the kitchen area for cooking and cleaning up. Also, places where hardcopy reading is going to take place, warmer might be better, particularly if one has any developing cataracts, even very juvenile ones. They really attenuate the colors towards the blue end of the spectrum seriously cutting down on contrast.

[mocroc]

BUT,

 

Everyone post how they liked the LED but no one has said anything about how much energy/power savings they realized. How much longer did it extend the daily use of your batteries? Was it worth the money? I not concerned about being trendy, reducing my footprint or the color of light produced. How much longer will the batteries last with daily use?

 

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

[Rif]

No one can answer that question but you. It depends on how many watts your current florescents use, how many watts the LED's use, how many hours per day you use them, and how many batteries you have.

 

That said, it will make your batteries last longer, but if you are only using one small florescent fixture, you may not even be able to tell the difference. On the other hand, I replaced all my recessed 10W halogen bulbs with LED's, and replaced the florescent bulbs in the primary fixture over the kitchen sink. This made a real difference. In the living room alone it cut my running load from around 10 amps to about 1.

[nana25k]

No one can answer that question but you. It depends on how many watts your current florescents use, how many watts the LED's use, how many hours per day you use them, and how many batteries you have.

 

That said, it will make your batteries last longer, but if you are only using one small florescent fixture, you may not even be able to tell the difference. On the other hand, I replaced all my recessed 10W halogen bulbs with LED's, and replaced the florescent bulbs in the primary fixture over the kitchen sink. This made a real difference. In the living room alone it cut my running load from around 10 amps to about 1.

Were you able to find dimmable rep!acements for your halogen's?? We have halogen recccesed lighting under our upper cabinets that I use alot. Do we have to replace the entire system or are there plug in bulbs